SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Randy Moss has been a happy man all week long, but he said Wednesday that it's not just because he'll be playing in the first Super Bowl of his career on Sunday.

"Don't get me wrong, I am excited to be here," the Patriots' wide receiver said during the individual interview sessions at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa. "But, I think the overall atmosphere of the locker room, the guys, being able to come together and them embracing me because I've been through a lot is what makes me most happy."

Moss has been one of the more talkative Patriots during this pre-game buildup, a somewhat surprising development given his history as a player reluctant to speak to the media, especially after incidents that cast him a negative light upon him.

Wednesday, he said he was practically overwhelmed by the initial impact he had upon the Patriots and that the Patriots had upon him.

"With all the talk about me coming into the season, what I really wanted to do was to come out and have a good year, and I didn't care too much about my statistics," he said. "I just really wanted to come out and have a good year. When things started taking off the way they did, it was hard for me to sit back and say that this is where I want to be and this is what I want to do.

"Everything was fast-paced when the season started and I was taken by storm every day, each week," he said. "I'm still loving what I do and being here, being a New England Patriot, I think this is where I do want to be." Moss is working off a one-year contract that was scheduled to earn him $3 million in base salary and about $2 million in incentives, well below the $9.8 million he might have earned with Oakland this year and a mere drop in the bucket compared to what he might demand as a free agent on the open market after catching 98 balls for 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes.

But this is the first time he has hinted at the possibility of a "hometown discount" for the pleasure and security of operating in an environment so friendly to him.

"Hopefully, we can work something out after this season is over," he said. "The sky is the limit. I really don't know if I'm going to be a New England Patriot, but … I would love to retire a Patriot, yes."

Still serving

As happy as he has been to be with the Patriots for the last two years and to have the chance to win his first Super Bowl with them, Junior Seau remains loyal to his home town of San Diego, where he played for the Chargers from 1990 through 2002. He also operates a restaurant there, and claims that he hasn't had to beg forgiveness from his fellow San Diegans despite the Patriots' two playoff victories over the Chargers in the last two seasons.

"I never suck up to people," he said. "I love it there. It's my home town. (San Diego) is the organization that got me started. (New England) is just another opportunity."

Seau also offered an example of his news sense when asked if the Patriots' perfect season or a stunning upset by the Giants would be the better story.

"Well, we can become part of history, in a category that no one has ever been part of. It's special," Seau said. "What is the better story? Who knows? I don't care about the story. I just know what's at stake. Leaving the game and looking at all the players that I've been with, these guys are special. It would be nice to end the year by doing something great."

Quick kicks After all that fuss, the Patriots didn't even list Tom Brady's injured right ankle on the midweek injury list, according to AFC pool reporter Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune. Brady was not taped outside his shoe during the two-hour, full-pads practice at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. However, as usual, Brady was listed on the injury report for his right shoulder, though he was also listed as full participation... Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney was limited in practice with a shoulder injury ... Former Patriots' coach Chuck Fairbanks attended the practice session ... The Super Bowl is a major event on the sports memorabilia landscape, as illustrated by the news that a set of unused tickets from Super Bowls I-XLI was sold Tuesday in an online auction to a buyer who elected to remain anonymous. According to SPCauctions.com, which conducted the auction, the winning bid for the extremely rare tickets was $47,263.20. The bidding opened at $5,000 on Jan. 15.